Former street children to entertain Pope Francis today

A 13-year-old former street boy is this morning fine tuning his dance moves as he and the rest of his troupe prepare for the most unforgettable day of their young lives - welcoming the Pope.

James Musyoka and other former street children from Ndugu Mdogo Children Centre will this evening sing and dance for Pope Francis on his maiden trip to Africa.

A vehicle that will be used to carry Pope Francis around Nairobi during his visit to Kenya. (PHOTO: BEVERLYNE MUSILI/ STANDARD)

The Pope and his entourage were due to take off at 7.45 a.m. and their flight is expected to touch down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 5p.m. He will be welcomed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and other dignitaries from the Government, civil society and the Church.

The choice of former street children to welcome the Pope echoes the humility and simplicity for a man who worked and lived with the poorest of the poor in the slums of Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to Jack Matika, the programme manager at Ndugu Mdogo Centre, the involvement of the children exemplifies the need to give everyone a second chance in life.

"When people see street children, they look at them as a burden. It is interesting that they will be the ones entertaining the Pope while others watch," Mr Matika said.

And to help Kenyans appreciate the historical visit by Pope Francis, the Government declared tomorrow a public holiday.

"The Government of Kenya has declared November, 26 2015 a national day of prayer and reflection," a statement from State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu partly read.

Shortly after his arrival the Pope, who is also the Vatican's head of state, will join his host President Kenyatta for an elaborate welcome ceremony at State House. Among those invited for the function are former presidents Mwai Kibaki and Daniel Moi, high ranking government officials as well as Opposition leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua.

Uhuru and Pope Francis will later hold bilateral talks before making a special address to the nation.

At about 6.30pm, members of the civil society and diplomatic corps will meet the Pope before he leaves State House for the Apostolic Nunciature where he will be staying.

Religious tolerance

On Thursday, the Pontiff will hold an inter-religious and Ecumenical meeting with several religious leaders in the salon of the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi. Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Secretary General Adan Wachu hinted that top of the agenda will be the promotion of global peace.

"When I meet with the Pope, I will expect him to talk about religious tolerance because we need it. It doesn't matter which religion you belong to – we all need to co-exist for the sake of peace," Mr Wachu said.

Tomorrow at 10am, Pope Francis will be at the University of Nairobi for a mass that will bring together an estimated 500,000 people. It will be the first mass the Pope is celebrating on African soil.

Grace Njeru, who will be attending the mass, said she will be keen on the message the Pope will give during the maiden mass.

"Since it is his first time in Africa, I believe the message he will be giving will not be confined to Kenya," Ms Njeru said. The mass is expected to last exactly two hours. Thereafter, the Pope will meet Catholic clerics and seminarians at the athletic field of St Mary's School.

Notable guests among members of the clergy would be those from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) where Pope Francis draws his background. More than 100 Jesuits have already arrived in Kenya from different parts of the world, perhaps to celebrate with one of their own, who became the first Jesuit to be elected as Pope in the history of the Catholic Church.

At 5.30pm, the Pope will visit the United Nations Office where he is expected to address several issues, top among them being climate change, which he has always talked about everywhere he has gone.

On Friday, the Pope's schedule will begin with the much-anticipated visit to Kangemi where he will dine with the poor and disadvantaged from different slums in Kenya.

When the clock strikes 10am, the Pope will go to Safaricom Stadium Kasarani to engage with youths from different counties in a discourse of the involvement of young people in decision making, the role of youths in development and the challenges they face.

 

When the meeting with youths ends at 11.15 a.m., the Pope will meet bishops in the VIP room of the stadium. From there, it will be time for him to leave. There will be a farewell ceremony at JKIA at 3.10pm before he boards his flight to Entebbe.